We're big fans of The Dark Mod, a fan remake of the original Thief game that won our 2013 mod of the year award. Square Enix, which will soon publish the Thief reboot, is a fan as well. It just announced a partnership with Amazon for a Thief: Gold modding competition, and has directed participants to The Dark Mod if they're looking for helpful modding resources.

Amazon and Square Enix will accept short video playthroughs or written pitches for Thief: Gold mods, whether they're creating a new heist for Garrett or reworking a classic level from the series. Square Enix and Amazon will pick the winner and award him or her:

A high-end gaming rig from AMD which includes an AMD Radeon R9 290X graphics card

An all-expenses paid trip to E3 2014 with Square Enix

Steam code for all Square Enix Games with the matching Prima Guide

An Amazon Kindle DX

A bundle of game development books on Kindle

The best part is that all entrants get a free digital version of Thief: Gold. The contest runs through April 14, and you can find more details on Amazon.

If you haven't already, The Dark Mod is obviously worth checking out, especially since the community keeps adding more heists for you to play through. The Thief reboot releases February 25 in the US and February 28 in Europe. You can watch a full mission playthrough from the game right here.

Announcing the Square Enix Thief Modding Contest! Starting February 18, the Thief and modding communities are challenged to put their imagination to the test. Whether it’s creating a new heist for Garrett or reworking a classic level from the series, Square Enix and Amazon are looking for fans to submit their entries in one of two categories: 1) upload a short video playthrough of their completed mod or 2) upload a short and creative video of your mod idea that you would create if you could. To enter, go to [Munched] and submit an entry by April 14, 2014. Participants looking for help can find modding resources at [Munched]. No purchase necessary. See official rules [Ad]. Amazon is not a sponsor of this contest.

Two grand prize winners (one in each category) will be determined by Square Enix and Amazon judges and will receive:
o A high-end gaming AMD rig which includes an AMD Radeon R9 290X graphics card
o An all-expenses paid trip to E3 2014 with Square Enix
o An all-expenses paid trip to Montreal for a tour of the Eidos Montreal studios
o Steam code for Square Enix Games with the matching Prima Guide
o An Amazon Kindle HDX
o One (1) e-book: Game Development Essentials: An Introduction.

Five finalists will be chosen in each category on April 14. All finalists will receive:
o One (1) e-book: Game Development Essentials: An Introduction
o An Amazon Kindle HDX
o Steam code for Square Enix Games with the matching Prima Guide
All entrants will also receive a free digital version of Thief: Gold (1998). Participants can sign up to get their free game on the "Claim Your Free Game" tab [Ad].

For those of us outside the US, enter a valid credit card (regardless of billing address) and it is accepted. When it asks for an address enter any valid US address. Then continue and enter the gift code. The amount goes to $0.00, the card isn't verified and nothing is physically shipped. Checkout complete and download away !